China rolls out eSIM phone services nationwide

BEIJING -- China's three major telecom operators — China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom — have officially launched eSIM phone services nationwide.

According to China Telecom, eSIM phone services are now available across the country. Consumers can activate the services at physical stores or make online reservations via the company's app before visiting a designated store for activation.

China Mobile said it will offer eSIM services to a full suite of products, covering not only smartphones but also smartwatches, tablets and in-vehicle devices.

The eSIM phone service integrates the functions of a physical SIM card into a phone's built-in chip. Without inserting a physical SIM card, users of eSIM-enabled phones can have their mobile numbers remotely downloaded and written into the phone's eSIM chip. eSIM phones offer the same functions as traditional SIM card phones, including voice calls, mobile data and text messaging services.